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Lawmakers Score Conservative Bona Fides By Attacking Efficient Transport
Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Congressman Tom Graves (R-Georgia) have introduced a bill to eliminate federal involvement in transportation policy, which would spell disaster for funding that supports transit, biking, and walking. A largely symbolic vote in favor of "devolution" will allow Republican members of Congress to demonstrate their conservative bona fides.
November 19, 2013
Good Urban Design Isn’t a Matter of “Us” vs. “Them”
It can be frustrating to see planning and transportation reforms debated not on their merits, but through the lens of one group that feels its interests are threatened. Discussion of policies ranging from regional land use planning to local zoning laws often devolves into an "us" vs. "them" debate.
November 18, 2013
Blumenauer, Bipartisan Co-Sponsors Set Out to Improve Street Safety Metrics
After a long period of inaction on Capitol Hill, the wheels are beginning to turn again. Lawmakers introduced not one but two good transportation-related bills yesterday: one that aims to improve the safety of walking and biking and one that would establish a national infrastructure bank.
November 15, 2013
It’s Official: 33,561 People Killed in Traffic on American Streets Last Year
The official 2012 death toll is out for our nation's poorly-designed, auto-centric transportation system. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic injuries on the nation's roadways claimed the lives of 33,561 people. The headline of the agency's press release, "NHTSA Data Confirms Traffic Fatalities Increased In 2012," is quickly walked back by the subhed, which attempts a silver lining: "Highway deaths over the past 5 years remain at historic lows."
November 15, 2013
Blumenauer Introduces a Tax Break for Bike-Share Commuters
If you drive to work, the feds will subsidize that. But if a Citi Bike (New York), or a Divvy bike (Chicago), or CoGo (Columbus, Ohio) is your ride to work, no such luck. But that could change. Michael Andersen at Bike Portland reports that Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) has introduced legislation that would establish tax incentives for bike-share commuters:
November 14, 2013
Sesame Street and Children’s Perception of City Life
I remember watching Sesame Street when I was a kid and noticing something different about it. There were scenes that took place entirely on the steps of a brownstone, neighbors running into each other on their way out the door. I didn't fully understand it, but it was intriguing and memorable. There was something about the setting that I liked.
November 12, 2013
The Remarkable Success of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail
One of the unsung leaders in bike infrastructure in the United State is the unassuming Midwestern city of Indianapolis. The city's "Cultural Trail," an eight-mile biking and walking path through the heart of the city, has gained national attention for its thoughtful design and careful integration with the city fabric.
November 12, 2013
The Inherent Trickiness of Predicting the Future of Travel Behavior
Gone are the days when traffic engineers could confidently predict traffic volumes would rise in an upward trajectory into infinity. In America, miles driven per capita has dropped to the levels of the mid-1990s.
November 8, 2013
More Mayoral Results: Minneapolis, Houston, Boston
This week's mayoral elections yielded good news for transit and safe streets in both Houston and Minneapolis. In Boston, meanwhile, the results are less straightforward.
November 7, 2013
Do Your City’s Streets Make Room for People Too? A Handy Visual Test
A big problem with designing cities around cars is that motor vehicles are big and bulky and take up a ton of space. And the more space you give to cars, the greater the pressure to cede even more territory -- to park vehicles and transport all the additional people who no longer find it appealing to walk, bike, or take transit in a more spread-out city.
November 7, 2013